Not Applicable
This invention relates to humidors for the storage of tobacco and tobacco products, specifically to an improved mechanism for opening, presenting and the storage of tobacco related products.
One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a humidor wherein different types or blends of tobacco or tobacco products may be stored in a properly humidified atmosphere without loss or adulteration of aroma or taste. Another object is to provide a humidor having a integrated venting system for the proper humidification and monitoring of tobacco with a plurality of compartments. These plurality of compartments are independent of each other thus preventing adulteration via airborne ethers from individual tobacco products such as different types of cigars or pipe tobacco. A further object is to provide a humidor that can fully display all tobacco product inventories in a multiple of configurations and orientations at once with an efficient utilization of space.
Prior art multi-compartment humidors as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,506,191 have separate compartments that all communicate with a source or sources of moisture. This prior art is constructed to ensure that all compartments are exposed to moisture while preventing the aroma from tobacco products in one compartment from migrating into another compartment in a manner that could achieve contamination of the unique tobacco flavor and aroma in each of the separate compartments. The cigar consumer enjoys the unique flavors of different cigars for different occasions and settings. When cigars of various flavors and construction are stored together or have communication to a single humidity source a marrying process occurs. This marrying process or adulteration occurs because of oils secreted by the tobacco leafs. These oils create airborne ethers that merge with all of the cigars stored in a common or communal compartments. This communication between the different cigars causes them to lose their unique flavor and distinction thus lessoning the enjoyment of tobacco products.
U.S. Pat. No. 720,111 shows a cigar makers work box with separate compartments for filler, binder, and wrapper for finished cigars. All cigars communicate with a single source of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 273,205 shows a cabinet for storing cigars and pipe tobacco. Cigars are stored on the shelves in an upper portion of the cabinet and the entire are enclosed by shelves that communicate with a single fluid reservoir near the bottom of the cabinet. Pipe tobacco products are stored similarly and communicate with a separate reservoir with appropriate aromatic liquids for imparting a desired taste and aroma to the pipe tobacco.
(a) The Prior art utilizes an external enclosure or structural support member in the form of a case or cabinet design. This case, cabinet or supporting structure encompasses a plurality of shelves, compartments or drawers creating a need for additional materials for construction, more fabrication steps and a greater cost to the product.
(b) Once the external enclosure or support member is constructed the ability to expand its storage capacity is limited and only expandable by constructing additional supportive members and making significant renovations which require additional fabrication and materials.
(c) The combination of the cabinet, the individual drawers or compartments show a design that provides an inferior seal (drawer to lid fit) that allows water molecules to escape. This mechanical fit over time, use and wear will deteriorate causing excessive moisture to escape and possible adulteration of the products within.
(d) This supporting structure, cabinet or case also inhibits the ability to display or have access to the contents. Access and display of prior art contents is limited to only one compartment at a time and/or to compartments in one orientation thus limiting the efficient utilization of space.
(e) Previous multiple independent compartment humidors have not incorporated an integrated venting structure. A problem with these humidors have been that they do not uniformly distribute humidified air throughout the cigars that the individual compartments contain. The suspended water molecules cannot pass freely and at a sufficient volume rate through the pile of cigars to adequately moisten- and maintain the cigars in the middle of the pile. U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,987 shows a humidor with a venting structure with a fluid reservoir in the bottom. The significant flaw in this design is the adulteration of different cigars being stored together and communicating with a common reservoir. The venting structure as described in this prior art actually accelerates the adulteration process unique thus destroying the unique flavors of the cigars or pipe tobacco. The prior art can only store one type of cigar without adulteration. The prior art can not be vertically arranged due to an integrated top wall used for accessing the humidors contents. Most consumers enjoy several distinct flavors of cigars. In the prior art example one must have additional individual humidors to achieve this, which requires additional materials, storage space and cost.
(f) Another problem with communicating with a reservoir in the bottom of the humidor as presented in the prior art is that water molecules are heavier than air and will have a layering effect inside the humidor creating a stratified humidity level within the humidor. Cigars stored on the bottom next to the humidity generating device will have a different humidity than those at the top.
(g) In order to properly monitor the long term storage of tobacco products the humidity level must be monitored at all times. This normally occurs through the utilization of a hygrometer. Most hygrometers in prior art are mounted inside of the compartment usually on the lid and one must open the humidor to read the humidity level indicated. This action disturbs the controlled humidity level within by exposing it to an external humidity environment. Also due to the layering effect of humidified air the hygrometer located in the top of the humidor does not accurately reflect the humidity of the cigars in the bottom or middle of the humidor.
A humidor is provided for retaining and preserving tobacco products within a plurality of vertically arranged storage compartments which are comprised of a side and bottom wall. These storage compartments are independently sealed to prevent communication with the other compartments. Compartments swivel around an integrated rotational mechanism allowing access to contents. These rotating compartments also swivel around a common support base allowing flexible accessability and orientation. An integrated venting structure within each individual compartment allows free air circulation between humidity generating means, humidity monitoring device and tobacco products without causing adulteration of tobacco products within each distinct compartment.
(a) Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are greater reliability and simplicity through the utlization of a fulcrum and cantilever design that allows any number of independent humdified compartments to be stacked vertically and rotate around a fulcrum for opening and easy accessability. This eliminates the need and materials of a cabinet case or external supportive enclosure as in previous art, which provided support and a seal for the seperate drawers, compartments or shelves construction.
(b) Expandability of the humidors storage capacity is achieved quite simply by inserting additional compartments within the body of the humidor in a modular fashion. This expansion only increases the height of the humidor. This allows the consumer flexibility in designing the humidor to their specific requirements and maximizing efficiency of shelf/desk space.
(c) A superior seal is achieved through the utilization of a gasket material. This seal will provide a better airtight compartment than a cabinet and drawer fit that is subject to warpage and wear overtime. The seal is assured through the life of the product due to the constant downward pressure applied by the weight of the individual compartments, thus allowing conformance of the gasket material to any irregularities in the mating surface.
(d) The integrated rotational mechanism also allows the opening of seperate compartments individually or by rotating all compartments around the fulcrum together each compartment can be displayed at varying directons at one time. By varying the height and positon of the fulcrum one can open or display the tobacco products in various methods and positions, thus giving optimal effeciency in desk space. By adapting the cantilever and fulcrum design in a vertical application one can open multiple compartments at once by simply lifting the top segment upward thus allowing access to all compartments with one opening action. This adds ease of use and greater flexibility in the presentation of tobacco products. This is further enhanced by incorporating a rotational base that allows all of the segments to be rotated in any direction around the base of the multi-compartment humidor giving 360 degree accessability.
(e) Other objects and advantages are an independent internal venting structure within each separate storage compartment that incorporates the following items. A support structure that allows equally distributed humidified air between the tobacco products, humidity generating device and humidity monitoring device.
(f) The fluid reservoir or humidity generating device is mounted on the same horizontal plane as the cigars providing a more homogeneous humidity level within the humidor and thus the tobacco products themselves.
(g) The hygrometer or humidity monitoring device is mounted on a horizontal plane and externally viewable which provides more accurate measuring of the humidity level and monitoring without having to open any of the compartments thus eliminating disturbance to the humidity controlled environment inside the compartments.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and accompanying drawings.